


Lost Loves do return, but at what cost?

by Arkham_Cat



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Angst, Angsty End, Hurt No Comfort, Kidnapping, LGBTQ Characters, M/M, Not Really A Happy Ending, OOC, Torture, blood mention, cutting (non suicidal), revival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25372027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arkham_Cat/pseuds/Arkham_Cat
Summary: “In a world of magic, don’t you think resurrection would be perfected?” Edwin smirked ruefully.
Relationships: Flynn Fairwind/Mathias Shaw, Mathias Shaw/Edwin VanCleef
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Lost Loves do return, but at what cost?

**Author's Note:**

> Just a bit of angst I thought up.  
> There’s certainly room for me to continue it, if the want is there. 
> 
> https://linktr.ee/kayceelain  
> Come follow me on all the things!

Blinking awake the spymaster took in his surroundings. Wooden walls covered in dust and flickering candles that looked as though they were about to burn out. Nothing except the chair he was bound to furnished the room.

Testing the binds earned the spy nothing but rope burn. Whoever trapped him was advanced in their skill. 

Narrowing his eyes, Shaw looked around for a good escape, or anything to help free himself.  
The window was cemented in, the door most likely locked, and nothing else was sat around the room.  
Escape would be difficult.

Someone knew his tricks.

Not to mention, He had no clue where even he was or what time of day it happened to be.  
The redhead sagged in the chair, as a dawning realization hitting him. 

He'd been on his way to meet with Flynn in a small tavern in Kul Tiras but before the redhead had reached the boat, he'd been jumped and knocked out.  
There was absolutely no warning and it had happened in plain daylight on the Stormwind Docs. 

A ballsy move for even the most skilled Rogue.

Flynn had no clue where he was and probably thought the spymaster had stood him up. The redheads' hearts ached at that thought. Hurting Flynn, even indirectly was never his intention.  
——  
Pulled from his melancholy thoughts, the room door unlocked and swung open to reveal a young girl with above shoulder length black hair whose eyes pierced through his soul with hate.  
Vanessa Vancleef.

Green eyes glared viciously at their capture.  
“What do you want, Vancleef?” He growled out. The display of anger and annoyance seemed to only amuse the assassin. 

This wouldn’t be the first time she had captured him for her amusement. The spy had always escaped in the past. 

“Oh Shaw, I simply wanted to see you struggle like a caged animal.” She laughed rounding the chair while dragging the end of her dagger over the exposed skin of Shaw’s neck, cutting not deeply but just enough for blood to seep out.

Wincing from the cut, Mathias’s glare intensified at the laughter of his capture. 

“What kinda game are you playing at this time, what do you want?” The redhead spat.  
Vanessa’s face came directly into the redheads view, her hand rising to rest on his cheek, her nails digging into the soft skin.  
Green eyes narrowed at the sharp sting, he had endured much worse pain than anything the brotherhood could come up with.  
This was child’s play. 

“Oh it has always been a game with you, dear spymaster. However I’m not the one playing this time, therefore I have no wants but to see you suffer.”

Attempting to move out of the assassins touch, Shaw’s confusion grew at her words. “What are you talking about, Vancleef?” 

Vanessa chuckled, moving back to the door.  
“You’ll see.”  
She left through the door then, leaving Shaw once more in silence.  
——-  
Hours passed his arms ached from being pulled taunt, and the hunger had set in. The shallow cut in his neck stung, the blood seemed to have ceased trickling thankfully.  
All easily dealt with in the spymasters' line of work. 

The incident with the legion helping in his training greatly.  
Shaw shuddered at the memories flooding his mind, now was not the time to think of them. 

“Looks like you remembered something unpleasant, Matty.”  
A mocking male voice spoke, from the newly opened door.

Leaning against the door frame stood a man in all black leather, with long raven black hair and mirth filled eyes.

Shaw swore he was looking directly at a ghost, or an illusion.  
The man before him looked exactly like Edwin, Except this man was visibly older and had a large scar across his face over his right eye and down his cheek. Exactly where Shaw had sliced his Edwin with a dagger in the heat of combat. 

“...Edwin, How?” 

The bandit laughed, walking over to lean directly in front of Mathias’s face.  
“In a world of magic, don’t you think resurrection would be perfected?” Edwins smirked ruefully. 

Despite the words coming from the man before him it was almost impossible for Mathias to believe.  
Yet here was a man, carbon copy of the man he had loved.  
His mannerisms, His voice, His appearance.  
Everything about the man before him screamed, Edwin Vancleef.

“I can’t believe this…” Shaw half whispered.  
“You better start believing matty. So, how’s the new boyfriend? I see you’ve moved on.” Jealousy was evident in the bandits voice as he gestured to the ring laid bare on the spy’s chest.  
It was a simple silver ring, no outward engraving or design. It was strung on a simple silver chain Shaw kept hidden under his armor.

In all the moving it must have worked its way out.

“Leave him out of whatever game you’re playing, Edwin. What do you want with me?” The near mention of Flynn sent Shaw into defensive mode. If this really was Edwin, he’d have to be careful with anything he’d say regarding Flynn. Otherwise the captain was in serious danger. 

Edwin chuckled, rounding the spy with his hand laid heavily on the redhead's shoulder.  
“I want you to join me, Mathias. Join the brotherhood and we could rebuild to be the great organization we once were. Vanessa has been doing well in my stead but we could do better. “

Somehow Shaw figured this is what the ex architect wanted, it’s what he’d wanted in the past as well. Their disagreement on sides is why they had broken up and why Edwin had ended up dead on the ground, despite how much it had hurt to do so.

The spymaster glared up at his captor. “You already know my answer, Vancleef. No.” 

Edwin didn’t like that answer, his smirking face down turning into a frown.  
“You will change your answer, for your own good.”

The sharp point of a steel dagger was held under Shaw's chin.  
“Join me.” Not a question this time. 

“I said, No.” Shaw growled out, his green eyes hazed with anger.

Edwin let out a sigh and acted as if he was about to walk away before turning and cutting the spymaster with small quick papercut-like cuts all over his forearms.  
“This will only get worse for you. You taught me everything I know.” 

The redhead had no doubt things would get worse.  
————-  
He’d no clue just how long had passed, but it had been long enough for Edwin to continue to demand Shaw to join them.  
Each demand was met with a refusal and each refusal was met with pain in some form.

The spy’s body was littered with small cuts to large gashes that would need stitches.  
His resolve never wavered, not even when the Bandit kicked him in the side hard enough to break at least two ribs.

He would never give Vancleef the satisfaction of breaking.

The ring around Shaws neck felt heavy, almost like a constant mock when Edwin wasn’t talking. 

The ring was not Flynn’s.  
In fact it was Edwin’s, a promise ring is what it had ment in the past. Now it served as a reminder of a past lover. 

Shaw had kept it because despite everything in the end he’d still loved the raven haired man, he’d still thought he was a good man. Just confused and hurt by an administration not well equipped to help those in need.  
Now, the spy felt differently. 

This Edwin was hellbent in destruction, on revenge.  
It was as if the bandit had been resurrected right at the end of his life when revenge had colored his mind so Grey.  
——  
Edwin knelt down, looking Shaw in the eye.  
“Tell me about your new lover. Tell me, did he go all out when he gave you that ring?” The man's voice had taken a cruel tint to it. 

Shaw remained quiet, looking to the other side of the room.  
He missed when Edwin frowned further, his eyes tracked on the ring. A tint of recognition clouding dark eyes.

The bandit walked over to the bound spy and effortlessly yanked the chain from Shaw’s neck to examine the ring. 

The spy sighed deeply sagging into the chair he was bound too.  
This wouldn’t be a very pleasant conversation.

Mocking laughter filled the air. “What does your lover think about you wearing my ring around your neck? The ring of a long since dead lover?”  
Edwin used the end of his knife to lift Shaw’s face up, forcing eye contact.  
“Well?” 

This indeed was not very pleasant conversation, at all. Shaw grit out the truth, no use making up a story when there was nothing to hide.“He knows how much you meant to me, how much I lo-“

Shaw was cut off by a sharp slap to the face. Edwin laughed humorlessly after doing so. “How much, you what? Loved me?” Edwin kicked the chair Shaw was bound too, forcing the spy backwards and into the wall behind. “No Matty, You left me for dead. You betrayed me when I trusted you most. You never loved me.” 

Forced backwards into the wall left the chair somewhat suspended.  
The spy’s head had hit the wall unpleasantly. A dull ache was growing, but not distracting enough to pull the spy’s concentration from the current matter. 

“I did not leave you for dead. I stayed with you until you died, and I remained at your side for two hours afterwards. Killing you was the hardest thing I’d ever done to this day.” Mathias’s voice gradually raised in volume as he spoke until the final statement was yelled.  
——-  
Edwins eyes had widened at the sudden outburst, even before their falling out, Shaw didn’t let his emotions control him.  
Yet, here before him was the disheveled spymaster, beaten and bleeding, yelling about past love he had.  
If Edwin hadn’t known better he’d say he saw the start of frustrated, angry tears at the corners of green eyes.

Despite not wanting to believe the spymaster's words, Edwin found himself conflicted.  
Shaw was telling the truth, that he knew for sure. He also knew he wouldn’t get the spy to convert sides, not anytime soon.

Edwin hummed in thought, rounding Shaw's chair to steady it back onto the ground.  
The bandit then pulled his knife from its home and sliced through the bounds holding the spy put. 

“Wha-“  
Before the spy could finish his question, Edwin spoke.  
“You care for this new person deeply, yes?”  
Shaw didn’t answer, however that was enough of an answer for Vancleef. 

“Go.”  
The redhead started momentarily.“Why are you letting me free?”  
“Call it even, but don’t expect the same mercy twice. If you get in my way I will not hesitate.” 

Mathias stood, somewhat shakily due to being bound for so long, but only the trained eye would have noticed. 

“Thank you… Edwin.” With that Shaw vanished quickly.  
Easily dodging brotherhood members and sensors throughout the base.  
Even injured, Shaw was one of the best at what he does.  
——  
Later Vanessa found her father in the same room, sat in the chair looking on ruefully at the small ring still clutched in his hand. 

“What happened?” She demanded.  
“He escaped.” Short and to the point was better than weaving a lie.

“Do you want us to go after him, farther?”  
“No, that won’t be necessary. He will come back in due time.”  
Vanessa frowned under her mask, not really believing her father's words entirely. “Whatever you say.” 

Edwin was once again left to his thoughts.  
After doing so, the man couldn’t come up with a single reason as to why he’d left Shaw free.  
Especially knowing how easily the spy could take them down again.

Perhaps it was the thrill of not getting caught, maybe it was the challenge of getting Shaw to join their side, or maybe it was buried feelings for the red headed spy. 

Edwin was not sure, whatever the case it may be Shaw was free and most likely on his way to tell the king of Edwins return and then to spend the night in the arms of whatever mystery man had taken the spy’s heart so strongly.

Jealousy swelled in the leaders heart, but it wasn’t filled with anger, only pain.  
He couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if things had been different

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who read!!!


End file.
